Nick Toon was released by the New Orleans Saints on September 1, a little more than a week after suffering a high-ankle sprain that was projected to last throughout the regular season.
Kristian Garic of WWL 870 AM and Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate broke the news. Toon, 26, suffered a high-ankle injury in Week 2 of the preseason and is projected to miss up to three weeks, according to Fox Sports’ Ross Jones.
On September 2, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com reported that after Toon cleared waivers, the Saints placed him on injured reserve. On September 8, the two parties reached an injury settlement, paving the path for his official release through Garic.
On September 1, New Orleans cut 75 players, including the former fourth-round pick. All NFL clubs had until 4 p.m. ET to decrease their rosters from the previous maximum of 90 players, which was subsequently reduced to 53 after Week 4 of the preseason.
With Toon out for that game, it made more sense for the Saints to cut bait and give playing time to another guy on the roster bubble.
Toon had a career high with 17 receptions for 215 yards and a score in 2014, but injuries have hampered his career. Since being chosen in 2012, the Wisconsin product has only participated in 16 games, missing his entire rookie season and appearing in eight games each of the previous two seasons.
Given his past, he acknowledged last month that he was not guaranteed a roster spot.
“No, I don’t have any more security,” Toon said, via Woodbery. “It’s one of those things, whether you’re an undrafted free agent or the first pick in the draft, you can never get complacent in this field. There’s always someone coming in, looking to compete for your job. Complacency will cut your career short. You can never be complacent in this industry.”
The Saints have instead chosen to move on with a depth chart that includes veteran Marques Colston, second-year speedster Brandin Cooks and a whole lot of unproven talent.
Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com also noted how little success the Saints had drafting in 2012:
With Jimmy Graham departing this offseason via trade without an obvious replacement, quarterback Drew Brees will have perhaps his most difficult time building an elite offense since joining the franchise. Toon probably wasn’t going to develop into a star, but his departure leaves even fewer players with whom Brees has a rapport.
Leave a Reply